Bits of Life Turned Musical
by Seal of Doom
Summary: Have you ever listened to a song and it just clicked for a character you liked? Have you ever imagined them doing something for the song, or even singing it themselves? Imagine no more, for I deliver to you Bits of Life Turned Musical! (Rated T to be safe)
1. Calling You

_A/N: I have done this a couple of times before with Hetalia, and I wanted to try it again for Homestuck. The whole song WILL make it into the stories, and as long as no one decides to snitch on me to the people that run this site (or to that Mr. Goody Two Shoes reviewer guy) then I promise I'll make this worth your while._

 _Song: Calling You_

 _Artist: Blue October_

 _Pairing: DirkJake_

* * *

Dirk Strider nervously fiddles with the strings on his guitar. On the other side of that velvet curtain is a crowd. Not just any crowd though, the _entire Skaia High_ population to be specific. That's only half of his problem though. The other half consists of a bunch of smaller problems that actually outweigh everything as a whole.

1\. He and his band actually belong to Derse Academia, the rivaling school of Skaia High. And though they've performed here numerous times before, it wasn't without risk of getting caught. 2. His brother Dave, manager of the turn tables, is **late**. They can't do this particular song without him. 3. This song, as just previously mentioned, will tell _everyone, **EVERYONE,**_ his real feelings for a certain someone.

One moment Dirk's entertaining these dark thoughts and letting them make him feel anxious, the next he's getting tackled from behind and momentarily losing his balance. "Lighten up silly! This is _supposed_ to be fun."

He turns around and sees his drummer and friend, Nepeta Leijon, staring at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. He smirks and straightens up, causing her to slide off him in surprise.

"What are you talking about? I'm chiller than an ice cube sitting in the middle of a blizzard."

One eyebrow arches up high beyond her fiery hairline, the curls taking yet another victim. "I don't believe that one bit Dirk Strider. You never play with your guitar before a performance _unless_ you're nervous."

Her gaze softens and she continues on in a more gentle manner. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure he'll love your tribute."

Dirk was about to say something, probably something along the lines of _thanks bro_ , but just then Dave rushes onto the stage looking unkempt and very much like he just woke up. Dave unpacks the turn table set and plugs in numerous wires.

"Oi! What the hell man?" He pulls away from Nepeta and walks over to his brother. "You were supposed to be here half an hour ago!"

"Sorry, my alarm didn't go off for some reason and no one came and got me. How long until we launch?" Dave puts on some bulky headphones and begins the routine sound check.

"1 minute until showtime!" Roxy sings, gliding onto the stage with her silver guitar strapped over her shoulder, raring to go. "Places!"

"Fuck!" Dave scrambles to complete his sound check while Nepeta leaps over equipment to her drum set. Roxy moves by the microphone left center stage and gives the thumbs up. Dirk takes his place in the spotlight, center stage.

Outside he can hear the announcer, a cheery female, introducing their band: _Fraying Strings_. The crowd goes nuts and the curtain rises. Stage lights hit him, and in that moment he briefly reflects how grateful he is to have a pair of awesome shades handy at this time.

With a little sass he flashes the crowd an award winning smile and tips the microphone towards him. "Thanks for having us again Skaia High!"

The crowd cheers. Dirk scans the jubilant mass of bodies, looking for one person only. _There_ , in the front waving next to some of his other friends.

His breath catches in his throat, and his heart skips a beat.

 _Jake_.

"This first song is a special tribute for one of my fans," He tries to keep calm, already cursing himself as he feels a drop of sweat rolling down the back of his neck. "Thanks for sticking through with us buddy."

Deep breath.

 _There's something that I can't quite explain._

Roxy strums her guitar and Dave begins to add the rivets.

 _I'm so in love with you, and you never take that away._

He began to pick at the chords on his guitar.

 _And if I've said it a hundred times before,_

 _Expect a thousand more._

 _You never take that away._

He takes another half breath and increases his volume. Roxy leans into her microphone and begins to sing as his echo.

 _Well expect me to be calling you to see if you're okay when I'm not around,_

 _Asking if you love me, I love the way you make it sound._

 _Calling you to see:_

 _Do I try to hard to make you smile? To make a smi-ile._

Nepeta begins making the timbre of her drum more noticeable and the pace picked up a little. He felt the nervousness slip away and the passion fill its place.

 _Well I will keep calling you to see:_

 _If you're sleeping are dreamin', and if you're dreamin' are you dreamin' of me?_

 _I can't believe- you actually picked me-_

He keeps his gaze locked onto Jake. A faint smile forms and tugs at the corner of his mouth as he sees the utter surprise and happiness on the other boy's face. He looks down slightly and continues with the next verse.

 _I thought that the world had lost it's sway._

 _(_ **It's so hard sometimes** )

 _Then I fell in love with you,_

 _(_ **Then came you)**

 _And you took that away._

 _(_ **It's not so difficult the world is not so difficult)**

 _You take away the old, and show me the new_

 _And I feel like I can fly when I stand next to you._

 _So while I'm on this phone, a hundred miles from home_

 _I'll take the words you gave and send them back to you._

 _I only wanna see, if you're okay when I'm not around._

 _Asking if you love me, I love the way you make it sound._

 _Calling you to see:_

 _Do I try to hard to make you smile? To make a smi-ile._

The energy of the band hits a new high and he smiles wide.

 _I will keep calling you to see:_

 _If you're sleeping are dreamin', and if you're dreamin' are you dreamin' of me?_

 _I can't believe- you actually picked me-!_

He trails off and turns his full attention to the guitar in his hands. He plays with his heart out on display, moving over to Roxy so they can combine their firepower. Dave cranks the volume on his turn tables and creates an echoing piano effect. Nepeta hammers away on her drums, a exuberant grin a light on her face. Towards the end of the music solo he leans towards the mic with Roxy and sings:

 _Well I will keep calling you to see:_

 _If you're sleeping are you dreamin', and if you're dreamin' are you dreamin' of me?_

 _I can't believe- you actually picked me-!_

 _I will keep calling you to see:_

 _If you're sleeping are dreamin', and if you're dreamin' are you dreamin' of me?_

 _I can't believe- you actually picked me-_

He holds that last note and everyone -Roxy, Dave, Nepeta- begins singing the background part.

( **Wo-oo-oh oh oh, oh-o-oh**

 **Uhwo-oo-oh oh oh)**

He let's go of the note and inserts him in with the background singing. The crowd joins in with them as they finish off and fade out. He looks to Roxy and she nods her head. Dirk slips off his guitar, handing it to her, and runs to the front of the stage. Nimbly he hops off and into the crowd. They went ecstatic at that, but moved out of his way knowing full well he was going to meet someone. They part and form a circle around him when he reaches Jake. The spotlight roams around until it falls on them. The crowd hushes, waiting for him to say something.

He gulps, feeling his cheeks turn red. "Jake English, you turned my world upside down, but I don't mind it one bit. I'm glad we met, and I can't believe you actually picked me."

He moves closer and embraces the tan skinned boy. His heart raced in his chest, pounding so hard against his ribs. Can Jake feel it? Is his heart moving just as fast?

"Mate, I wouldn't have it any other way," Jake pulls out of the hug and grabs his shirt, pulling him in and kissing him.

The crowd cheers wildly, and he finds that he's with them on this.

* * *

 _Wooh! This isn't even my ship but woooooohhh! I did pretty damn good if I say so myself. Alright to business! I will just go and do this for whatever song and character that I feel like, BUT, and that's a very big but, I will accept requests! Just submit a song, the artist, and character (or characters ((must state if it's a pairing or naw))). Hope ya liked it! Peace out._

 _Disclaimer: Don't own the song or Homestuck._


	2. Echo

_Song: Echo_

 _Artist: Vocaloid (If you want a good English Cover I recommend Lollia's version)_

 _Character: Sollux Captor_

* * *

 ** _Tick_**

 ** _Tock_**

 ** _Tick_**

 ** _Tock_**

 ** _Tick-_**

...

Sollux examines his hair with articulate attention. A scowl creases along his forehead and he sighs in frustration. He runs his hands down his hair, smoothing the loose hairs he had tried to make look cool in a messy sort of way.

"It's no use," he mutters. "I'll just go like this the same as every other fucking day."

After a remark he'd heard someone whisper about his looks he had become rather self conscious, and he always stopped by the mirror or window to check in with himself that he still looked okay. It didn't stop him from criticizing every detail that he thought others would perceive as a flaw. Little did the others know that if they caught him off guard with even the slightest off handed comment, it would antagonize him on end for days-even without meaning to most of the time. The downfalls of actually caring what others thought of him, even if it's only a fraction of a percent.

He just doesn't understand why everything had to be viewed in technicolor. Why not keep it black and white? Ugh then again black and white gets boring after a while. His face screws up and he sticks his tongue out.

...

 ** _-Tock_**

 ** _Tick_**

 ** _Tock_**

 ** _Tick-_**

 **The clock stopped ticking forever ago**

 **How long have I been up? I don't know.**

 **I can't get a grip but I can't let go**

 **There wasn't anything to hold onto though-**

The Reflected Sollux reaches up and touches the mirror, leaning his forehead against it. There's an overwhelming hatred burning in him. The Normal Sollux took too much for granted.

 **Why can't I see? Why can't I see all the colors that you see?**

 **Please can I be? Please can I be colorful and free-?**

 _..._

Sollux takes his forehead off the mirror and grabs fistfuls of hair in his hands. Sometimes he just hates his reflection! It's essentially him, yet it's always like he's looking down on himself.

 _What the hell's going on can someone tell me please?_

 _Why I'm switching faster than the channels on tv-_

...

 **I'm black-**

...

 _-then I'm white_

 _No something isn't right_

 _My enemy's invisible I don't know how to fight._

 _The trouble I fear- is more than I can take when I'm up against_

 _The Echo in the Mirror!_

...

The Reflected Sollux felt ready to rip his own head off as he practically screamed:

 **Echo-o-o-oh!**

All he ever did was mimic this bastard on the other side of the mirror! What kind of a life is that?! Why couldn't he get what he wanted? Why couldn't the other guy mimic HIM for a change? Why couldn't he go out and strut his stuff? It's all on that pansy that couldn't take a little bit of constructive criticism. If it were HIM he'd be taking all the advice and getting all the damn color he could! He'd trade places in a heart beat and show the Normal Sollux how it's done.

 **Echo-o-o-oh!**

Is that all that he's going to be? No! That can't be all there is for him!

 **I'm gonna burn this house down to an ugly black-**

...

 _I'm gonna run away now and never look back-_

He felt like his own image was suffocating him!

...

 **I'm gonna burn this house down to an ugly black-**

 _(I'm gonna run away now and never look back-)_

 **I'm gonna burn this house down to an ugly black-** _(and never look back-)_

 _I'm gonna run away now and never look back-_ **(to an ugly black-)**

 _ **I'm gonna burn this house down and never look back-**_

 _ **And never look back-**_

...

 _What the hell's going on can someone tell me please?_

 _Why I'm_ **switching faster than the channels on tv-**

 **I'm black then** _I'm white_

 _No something isn't right_

 _My enemy's invisible I don't know how to fight._

...

 **What the hell's going on can someone tell me please?**

 **Why I'm** _switching faster than the channels on tv-_

Sollux steps closer to his reflection with a snarl on his face.

...

 **I'm black-**

...

- _then I'm white_

 _No something isn't right_

 _..._

 **My enemy is here and I still don't know how to fight.**

Reflected Sollux copies Normal Sollux's movements, anticipating the final showdown.

...

 _The trouble I fear- is more than I can take when I'm up against_

 _The Echo in the Mirror!_

...

 **The trouble I fear- is more than I can take when I'm up against**

 **The Echo in the Mirror!**

He raises his fist at the same time Normal Sollux does and-

...

-smashes the mirror. It cracks where his fist landed, spreading like a plague over the whole mirror. There's a moment where he catches his expression in the reflection; the distortion of anger is fragmented to the point where he is unrecognizable to himself.

The glass shatters and falls to the floor with light tinkling sounds. The Echo in the Mirror is destroyed, much like he himself.

...

 _ **Tick**_

 _ **Tock**_

 _ **Tick**_

 _ **Tock-**_

* * *

 _*Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the story.*_

 _If you have a request I'll be more than happy to do it! If not then I'll just keep going with my own songs and characters and scenarios. Also, if it's not too much trouble reviews would be great!_

 _Disclaimer: Homestuck no mine. Song also no mine._


	3. How Do You Build A Robot?

_Thank you lovely guest for suggesting this song. To be quite honest I've never heard of this band, and when I listened to the song for some reason it reminded me a little of Weird Al XD. This probably isn't what you were imagining for the story, but it's all I could think of and it made me laugh a lot._

 _Song: How Do You Build A Robot?_

 _Artist: Recess Monkey_

 _Characters: Vriska/Equius_

* * *

Equius puts down his weights when he hears the knocking upon his front door. The boy hardly ever receives guests, and most only contact him through Trollian if they needed him-so it's perfectly fine to say he's surprised and confused.

"Now who could that be?" he wonders as the knocking turns to incessant pounding. Quickly he lopes from his room, down the stairs, and into the noble foyer of his hive. His lusus, Aurthour, is already a step ahead of him and is at the door answering the call.

The door has only opened a fraction of an inch when _she_ bursts inside. The force exerted is enough to knock poor Aurthour over. Equius scowls at the homewrecker for a neighbor.

"Vriska, may I ask what brings you here?" He crosses his arms over his chest and waits on a margin of impatience for her to answer.

"Yo Zahhak don't be so stiff, I just came to ask you a question," Vriska waves her hand in the air as if she's chalking it all up to him making it a bigger deal than it really is. She blows some hair out of her face and it just adds to her air of frugality.

He nods for her to proceed.

"Yeah, so I was thinking since you're so good with mechanics and all that you could help me with a project," She saunters further into his home as if she owns the place. Vriska circles around him with mounting haughtiness applied to each step. He doesn't like the way she's going about this. Still, he could at least hear her out.

"What is it you have in mind?"

Vriska pops up in front of him suddenly, startling him so he stumbles a little.

 _How do you build a robot?_

"Excuse me?" he asks, totally flabbergasted by the sudden outburst of song.

 _I really want to know._

 _A robot that can fly-y,_

 _With eyes that glow!_

"Miss Serket have you ingested any sopors recently?" Equius begins to sweat at the thought of it. Disgraceful! He needs a towel. He snaps his fingers and Aurthour canters off.

 _How do you build a robot?_

 _I'd like to understand._

 _I've been checking out some mo-o-oves,_

 _And drawing plans!_

Oh dear. She's completely lost it! Equius simply can't wait for Aurthour to return, and he sets off at once to find himself a towel and get away from Vriska.

 _My own robot would be so cool!_

 _Flying all the way to school,_

 _And all the things we could play-_

 _We'll talk the robot wa-ay-!_

He shuts the door on her, but accidentally rips it off the hinges. Panicking, he shakes it off and runs away. Vriska has a large, highly unnatural grin on her face as she follows after him.

He traverses down a winding staircase and into-unfortunately- his workshop.

 _I found a box of wires! ( **I found a box of wires!** )_

He turns around and sees Vriska prancing around with a very real and literal box of wires.

"Careful, some of those are live!" he cries and chases after her.

 _And six or seven springs! ( **And six or seven springs!** )_

Vriska plucks up the said springs and throws them into the box.

 _A flashlight and a ja-ar_

 _Of red sequins!_

"Where did those come from?!" He doesn't even own any sequins!

 _I'm allowed to use the trash can. ( **Yeah, yeah, yeah** )_

"Wait I didn't even give you permission to build a robot here!" He tries to take the box and mysteriously acquired trashcan away from her, but she merely dances out of his reach. She sets it all down on the table and begins to carelessly take items out of the box.

 _And the one that's in the yard._

Well that explains where the trash can came from. Vriska begins to put things together in such a dangerous manner he thought he might have a heart attack. The uncouthness of a lack of safety!

 _I'm attaching all the parts,_

 _It's not that hard!_

"Hey don't use that to put on the arm!" He takes away the hammer she had snatched and grabs a wrench instead. "It goes like this."

He shows her how to twist the bolts and recites the righty-tighty lefty-loosey mantra as he does so. Vriska hands him various pieces and keeps singing. He looks at the bomb she wants him to put on it and tosses it aside.

 _My own robot that would be so cool!_

 _Flying all the way to school!_

 _And all the things we could play,_

 _We'll talk the robot wa-ay-!_

 _( **Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah** )_

She twirls around him as he works on the robot.

( _ **Ooo-oo-ooo-ooo-ooo**_ )

He screws on the last eye and connects the wires in the back. The machine whirs to life and Vriska stares at the robot with awe.

 _You really built a robot._

 _It's taller than my mom!_

He frowns and scratches his head. The robot is actually quite small. He's seen Vriska's lusus fairly recently; she's ginormous! There's no way this thing could compare to the hulking Spiderbeast.

 _We'll finish up some wo-ork_

 _On it's launching pad!_

"What?!" Vriska grabs the robot in one hand and his wrist in another. She drags him back up the winding staircase and even all the way to the roof of his hive!

 _My- own- robot it would be so cool!_

 _Flying all the way to school!_

 _And all the things we could play,_

 _We'll talk the robot wa-ay-!_

She positions the robot and hits a button on it's back. Mini rocket boosters pop out of it's feet and propel it upwards. She leans back and shades her eyes to watch it soar.

 _My own robot it would be so cool!_

 _Flying all the way to school!_

 _And all the things we could play,_

 _We'll talk the robot wa-ay-!_

She trails off and stares triumphantly at the disappearing robot. He could have pointed out that she probably wouldn't ever see it again because he did not have time to program any settings, but he held back. Instead he decided to ask a question.

"May I ask you something?"

Vriska turns to him. "What?"

"Why did you break out into song to get me to build you a robot?"

* * *

 _Heh heh heh! Thanks for the request mate this was a fun one to right. VisQel Stelar, yes I am doing oneshots only. I'm trying to work on short stories, but don't worry I think I'll be able to attempt all of your requests ;) They'll just be posted all at different times because I've amassed a list of songs to turn into short stories and I'm gonna try and space things as evenly as possible._

 _Requests are still open! (Disney songs totally welcome I will love you forever if you request a Disney song)_

 _Next chapter: Dream (DaveJade)_

 _Disclaimer: Don't own Homestuck or the Song_


	4. Dream

_I'm not implying Jade is religious, but I like the song and it just seems really her._

 _Song: Dream_

 _Artist: Priscilla Ahn_

 _Pairing: DaveJade_

* * *

The rain softly patters against the window to Jade's bedroom. A pale grey, the only source of light, shines through the window and illuminates the room in a different way. The scattered toys and clothes take on a muted pastel color, while some corners remain dark. Shadows spread like paper thin needles across the bed. Two people relax lazily there while talking about life-they're favorite past time.

"I still think that we should get a puppy," Jade giggles as Dave plays with her hair. "I know you've never had a pet, but I promise you it'll be loads of fun."

"I don't know Jade," Dave sighs, but she can see a trace of a smile gracing his pale features. He likes the idea, she can tell. All she needs to do is push just a little bit more.

"We can take it on walks, play tug-o-war with it, teach it to ride a skateboard and put it on youtube," Jade lists off all the things they could do with the dog. She feels him stiffen up as he silently laughs.

"That'll be one hell of a dog then. What would we name it?"

Bingo!

"Charlie!" They both crack up. Slowly it dies down and they calm to listen to the rain. It soothes Jade. And here next to Dave it's like laying in a field of bliss. Gently she begins to hum a tune of a song she had recently learned. It just seemed so right with today's weather.

After a while Dave asks sounding somewhat sleepy, "What's that you're humming? It sounds nice."

"It's the new song I learned on my guitar, the one I told you about the other day," Absently her fingers twitch as if they were holding her guitar and picking at the strings. Dave notices this and takes advantage of it.

"Could you play it for me?"

"I don't know Dave," She sighs, teasing him the way he teased her. He cocks his head to the side a little, sun bleached hair sliding over his forehead, dopey grin lighting up his face. Her heart did a little back flip, and it feels like there's sunshine in at least one place today. It makes it impossibly hard to refuse him when he looks at her like that.

"Well if you insist," Jade sits up and crawls over her bed to reach for her guitar. It's an old thing, chestnut in color, some spots looking like fire had grazed it. She loved it so much. Her grandpa had given it to her when she was just a kid, so she took care of it like it were her own baby. Thus it had retained a vintage look and it sounded wonderful. Jade sits crosslegged and rests the guitar in her lap and tunes it.

Dave shifts so he's on his stomach and facing her. He tucks a few pillows underneath him and rests his chin on his hands. One foot has a mind of it's own and waves around in the air as if it were preparing to conduct her. She laughs just a little and starts to strum out a quiet tune. Dave's foot catches the rhythm and starts to bob along with it.

She takes a deep breath and begins to sing.

 _I was a little girl alone in my little world,_

 _Who dreamed of a little home for me._

 _I played pretend beneath the trees,_

 _And fed my houseguests bark and leaves,_

 _And laughed in my pretty bed of green._

Dave snorts just a little and mutters about how "that is so something you would do".

 _I had a dream._

 _I- could fly from the highest swing,_

 _I had a dre-am._

Dave tilts his head a little to the left and his head starts to dip up and down. She can tell his eyes are closed, even though his big shades are hiding them. He really looks like he's enjoying himself.

 _Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park,_

 _I asked God who I'm supposed to be._

 _The stars smiled down on me,_

 _God answered in reverie._

 _I said a silent pray and, fell asleep._

 _I had a dream._

 _I could fly from the highest tree,_

 _I had a dream._

She began to coo softly, the notes gliding over one another. They rose and fell as if being rocked by a wave. Dave's smile widens and he's now moving around even more to the song. She closes her eyes and continues to strum, knowing the piece by heart. With the weather like it is, her best friend/boy friend at her side, and a song in the air and her heart, Jade swears she's never felt more peaceful. It's moments like these that she yearns for.

It's all she could ever really ask for.

 _Now I'm old and feeling gray,_

 _I don't know what's left to say_

 _About this life I'm,_

 _Willing to leave._

 _I've- lived it full I've lived it well,_

 _There's many tales I've lived to tell._

 _I'm ready now-, I'm ready now-, I'm ready now-_

 _To fly from the highest swing_

 _I had a dream-._

Jade quietly strums the last notes and lowers her guitar. The patter of rain continues to hit the window, lulling them into a sense of security. Dave sighs in content and scoots over to her. She carefully sets the guitar to the side and holds his head in her laps, running her fingers through his hair. He lightly traces patterns on her thigh and sighs again.

"God I love your one man concerts. I love your voice. I love the way you make everything feel safe. It's amazing how you can do that. How do you do that?" Dave turns so he's laying on his back. She reaches and takes off his shades so she can look into his eyes- the most kindest of gems on earth to her. They flicker around, searching her face, her eyes, everything.

"The exact same way that you always seem to find the time to stop by and say me hello every single day," she whispers, leaning in close to him. "Or the way you know how to get a smile out of me; even if I'm not in the mood. Or even the way you manage to get your message across in the most obscure way possible."

The tips of their noses touch and she smiles sweetly at him. The corner's of his eyes crinkle in a smile. "So like magic?"

Jade giggles. "Like magic."

* * *

 _*dying because OTP aaaahhhhh!* Friendly chapter reminder that requests are still open!_

 _Next Chapter: Sarcasm_

 _(I'll take care of one of your requests, VisQel Stelar, after this next one :) )_

 _Disclaimer: Don't own Homestuck or Song._


	5. Sarcasm

_Song: Sarcasm_

 _Artist: Get Scared_

 _Characters: Ghosts_

 _This one might be a bit graphic, so you are now warned._

* * *

Dear Big Baddies of the Game:

Do you remember us? Or does it get muddled over time and you forget who you killed and how you killed them? Do you ever wonder what became of us in the after life? Probably not.

 **Typical.**

We still remember.

 **Disgusting.**

We won't ever forget.

 **Unforgivable.**

We're sick of it. The treatment we receive while living only continues even though we're dead. All you do is abuse us, push us around, treat us lower than the lowest scum of the earth.

 _ **(And it is from this from this world of darkness which come the evil, destructive forces of man's nature.)**_

We won't take it anymore. Not from Lord English. Not from all three damn Jack Noirs'. Not even from those among our ranks. And especially not you orange dude. We have got our Eyes. On. You.

Here is our message for you:

(A ghostly boy steps up to take the microphone, his eyes devoid of warmth and life, the milky pallor of death. The golden aura around him doesn't tell of hope, but of a cold and unforgiving death.)

 **JAKE:** _You've got me shakin' from the way you're talkin'_

(A girl appears beside him with a halo of blueish light expanding from her personage. She holds up a half mask to her face, contrasting the difference between her emotions of happy with the real ones on her face of sadness.)

 **JANE:** _My heart is breaking but there's no use cryin'-_

(A young she-troll binds her eyes with a red scarf, wiping some imaginary thing, perhaps blood, off of her face.)

 **TEREZI:** _What a cyanide surprise you have left for my eyes_

 _If I had common sense I'd cut myself or curl up and die!_

(A boy who wanted nothing more than to fly sits in a chair. His image flickers to a mangled body strewn over the rocks in a gorge.)

 **TAVROS:** _Sticks and stones could break my bones_

(The shadow of the spidery temptress falls upon him, engulfing him as if they were flames.)

 _But anything you say will only fuel my lungs._

(The darkness disperses as if by a gust of wind to reveal masses upon masses of the doomed dead. They writhe in torment, reaching, pleading, begging for another shot. A chance. Cursing, seething, seeking for retribution.)

 **A L L:** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be loved-_

 **TAVROS:** _You pollute the room with your filthy tongue_

 _Watch me choke it down so I can throw it up_

 **A L L:** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be hanging by the neck before an audience of death._

(The floor collapses under the masses and swallows them up into an inky black. A light flashes briefly on another she-troll with knotted hair and torn clothes. She grins and holds her finger up to her lips as if to say to keep this a secret.)

 **ARADIA:** _You can be the corpse and I can be the killer~_

(She vanishes and is replaced by a skeletal looking troll whose eyes glow a deep shade of purple. A catty looking girl clings to him with an almost vacant look in her eyes.)

 **KURLOZ:** _If I could be the devil, then you could be the sinner._

(A troll in similar stature appears back to back with the other troll, holding the head of the one he held dearest, touching noses.)

 **GAMZEE:** _You could be the drugs and I could be the dealer._

 _Everything you've said is like music to my ears-_

(The dark is lit up by flashes of red and blue which crackles like lightening. Tortured screams fill the air as two boys with the same blood color are revealed with more blood on their hands than they could save, stuck somewhere between life and death themselves. But what is mortality to a player of Doom?)

 **MITUNA:** _You can be the corpse and-_

 **SOLLUX:** _-I can be the killer!_

 _If I can be the devil then-_

 **MITUNA:** _-you could be the sinner!_

 _If you could be the drug-_

 **SOLLUX:** _-then I could be the dealer!_

 _And everything you've said is like-_

 **MITUNA:** _-_ _MUSIC-_

 **SOLLUX: -** _to my-_

 **MITUNA:** _-MUSIC-_

 **SOLLUX:** _-to my-_

 **MITUNA:** _-EARS!_

(The blood that drips from their hands pools around their feet and gnarled claws grow like mutations from it. They wrap around the boys's legs and with a sharp tug drag them down.)

 **ALL:** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be loved-_

(The Witch of Life falls from the sky curled in a ball. She looks up and sees the Prince which had pursued after her relentlessly, even unto death. He reaches for her as if that would prevent her from reaching the inevitable. She looks away and turns to accept her fate though she has already received it long ago.)

 **FEFERI:** _You pollute the room with your filthy tongue_

 _Watch me choke it down so I can throw it up-_

 **ALL:** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be hanging by the neck before and audience of death-_

 _Before an audi-ence-_

(A boy with the palest hair takes to the scene. A broken sword hangs loose at his side. With each blink of an eye he changed forms each time. First a thirteen year old, full of spirit and cockiness. Then a cool guy that was just getting the hang of his powers. Next an orange feathered sprite, an air of despair around him in mourning for friends he couldn't save. Finally a Knight who thought he didn't deserve to be called a hero.)

 **DAVE:** _Fa-il-ure fi-ind me_

 _To tie me up now!_

 _Cause I'm as bad, as bad as it gets-!_

(A girl descends upside down, caressing her brother's cheek with darkened skin. The aura of the void clings to her even though it is her anti-thesis.)

 **ROSE:** _Fa-il-ure fi-ind me_

 _To hang me up now!_

 _By my neck, cause I'm a fate worse than dead-!_

(The darkness envelopes them. A single eye opens blazing golden with multiple pupils. As the spidery voice fills the cavernous area the eye fills red and overflows.)

 **VRISKA:** _What a cyanide surprise you have left for my eyes-_

 _If I had common sense I'd cut myself or curl up and die!_

(The dead begin spilling forth and piling up.)

 **ALL:** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be loved-_

 _You pollute the room with your filthy tongue_

 _Watch me choke it down so I can throw it up-_

 _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be hangin' by the neck_

 _Before an audi-ence-!_

(One by one they drop off the edge, their numbers too great. But not before the noose catches them and jerks them violently around. Bodies collide in agony. They can't die again like this, already being dead, but that doesn't stop them from feeling pain.)

 **ALL:** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be loved-_

 _You pollute the room with your filthy tongue_

 _Watch me choke it down so I can-_

(A beam of light shoots forth and disintegrates ghosts upon hosts of ghosts.)

 **ALL:** _Don't mind us we're just spilling our guts,_

 _If this is love I don't wanna be hangin' by the neck-_

(The ashes of the ghosts blow away. One young troll stands alone. His chest is punctured, red blood trickling from him like he were a fountain. Solemnly he stares into the abyss around him and finishes off the message with an echo.)

 **KARKAT:** _Before an audience of death-_

* * *

:3 _I had fun with this one honestly. I apologize for late update. I would have done it sooner, like probably the same day I posted chapter four, but I got really sick right afterwards. And lately my parents have been cracking down on my failing math grade *sobs* Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!_

 _Next Chapter: Ignite (Jade and Jake)_


	6. Ignite

_Song: Ignite_

 _Artist: Lisa (Cover by LeeandLie)_

 _Characters: Jade and Jake_

 _Sorry for taking forever with this one. Since the song was used for an anime about MMORPGs then that's kinda the direction I'm taking this one in. Hope ya like it and thanks for requesting it! (Italicized is Jade except for the very beginning, and bold is Jake.)_

* * *

The night is deep, with only a sliver of the moon and the twinkling stars out to provide any light. There's hardly any cover on the ground except for the tall grass which sways in a steadily increasing breeze. The crickets chirp lazily into the silence, being the only source of sound. Only three objects are out of place in this setting. One: The tall, tarnished, metal door in the middle of the sea of grass. Two: The duo of hunters creeping towards it at a steady pace, wary at all times for an attack that can come from any direction. Three: The lithe shadows of numerous imps which stalk the hunters.

One hunter, garbed in a swathe of dark robes that flow with her movements, signals for her partner to stop. The other, dressed almost similarly but with a thick hood to shield his face, obeys and slows to a halt. The female removes a gun from her back, a rifle to be exact, and readies it. Her partner does the same and pulls out twin guns from the holster on his hips. They wait in the darkness with baited breath, staring at their ultimate goal.

 _~You long to set the world stra-ight_

The devilish creatures which pursued the hunters begin to close in, whispering foul things into the air and alerting the hunters of their presence. The girl shifts into a crouch, prepared to run.

 _~But you will fail if you wait or hesitate_

Baited breath, a skip of the heart beat, and a nod from his partner was all he needed before standing up with his guns raised. The moment he revealed himself the imps launched into the assault, springing into the air with trilling cries echoing around them.

 _~So- take aim and pull the trigger back!_

He fires his weapons and blasts holes into his query one right after the other while his partner jolts forward and bolts ahead of him. He begins to move forward while continuously shooting.

The girl keeps low, knowing that the chance of being hit like this were lower than if she were upright. Not only that but the method of running seemed to make her feet grown wings. She kept her focus trained on the door, but not overly so that she completely missed any of the enemies all together. If she could just make it there, make the distance ahead of her, then this would be all over. Both she and Jake would be free.

 _There was a time when I knew of love and amity._

 _But it faded like the warmth inside a falling tear._

This game has been bitch to beat, and they've lost nearly as many battles as they've won, but this time would be different.

 _Is it a crime to see fault in our humanity?_

 _Why do we create this cycle of hate, breeding more fear?_

Jake rushed past her, fumbling around to get new clips into his guns. She pulls back ever so slightly and turns to fire a round at a lunging imp and watch as it splatters ink everywhere.

Jake takes the lead. One of their team mates always had to keep going while the other fended off, it's their most effective strategy to making sure they cleared each level.

 **There's a pain deep inside of me-**

He wants out of here.

 **And you're struggling to stay ali-ve**

He whips around and fires at an imp lunging in from Jade's right flank. She tucks in and rolls backwards. Jumping up and running around him. He follows her at a brisk pace while firing away all around them.

 **But if we last I know**

 **We'll live to see a brighter tomorro-w!**

His clip empties again and he turns and sprints for Jade, lightly tapping her shoulder as he passes her by again.

Jade effectively switches her weapon with another one on her back, a mini machine gun that would allow for more rounds to be released simultaneously as well as killing off multiple enemies.

 _You long to set the world stra-ight_

 _But you will fail if you wait or hesitate_

Finger on the trigger she swings around in a wide arc.

 _So- take aim and pull the trigger back!_

 _Through every fear that you fi-ght,_

 _You're giving life to a spark of crimson red_

 _It burns bright just waiting to ignite-_

 _As are impulses ring aloud_

 _This world is evolving to the sound_

 _Of a ne-w begini-ng!_

Jake shouts a warning and she turns around and growls at the sight of their path blocked by a hoard of writhing black. She races to catch up with him, knowing he'll need help to clear through this first before they can proceed. The duo raises their weapons and fires them into the crowd of dark entities to gain some headway.

 **It cries at last-**

 **That relentless sound I know so well**

 **Always deafening but I can never pull away**

The shots of both their weapons rings in his ears, but he's so used to it by now it hardly phases him. A fierce frown tugs at the corners of his lips and he kicks an imp away from him before blowing its head off.

 **The die is cast and you can't restart or change the past**

They had been stupidly lured into this game, which had been a death trap in the guise of innocent game play. There's nothing he could have done to foresee and unsee the gruesome things they've endured. But it hadn't all been bad. He enjoyed the thrill of the hunt itself, whether he was the hunter or the prey it didn't matter. But even now he kept his focus on the objective- which is getting out alive through that rusted door.

 **But if given only one more chance,**

 **Could you carve the way?**

He plunges into the thicket of fiends, Jade close at his heels.

 **I can feel it waste away inside**

 **But the fire in me hasn't died**

 **And I would rather sell my soul than watch it all fa-de awa-y!**

Push harder, faster, force your way through! Jake grits his teeth in frustration. Once upon a time a battle of this caliber would have terrified him, but not anymore!

 **I'm sick of being afraid!**

 **And living by these mistakes I have made**

 **But I'll change that with these hands of mine**

Jade dances around Jake and slams the butt of her gun into an imp's head.

 _Believing in something mo-ore_

 _I'll carve a path through that rusted doorway_

 _There's still more that's still worth fighting for!_

She lets out a frustrated howl and surges forward with a strong push from Jake.

 _Our battle cry is rising higher_

 **As raw emotions fuel the fire,**

 _ **Piercing thro-ough the night sky-!**_

They yell, arching their backs to let their howls filter through the air and to the world above them. The cluster of imps back away from them with a slight panic, confused by the sudden change of tone their cries had taken. With a vicious glint in their eyes the hunters crossed their arms over each other and fired away, revolving around and around until they had a sizable circle around them. With a spring and a leap they separate to vault across the new found space before them.

 **The shooting stars fall upon the darkness**

 _Until the skies are pitch black and starless_

 ** _But when the world is reborn the curtains open wi-de!_**

Shot after shot rings through the air, Jake reaches for another clip only to find that it's his last one. He stares at Jade forlornly as she tosses aside her mini machine gun and resorts to using her rifle again.

 **You long to set the world stra-ight**

 **But you will fail if you wait or hesitate**

 **So take aim and pull the trigger back!**

He releases the empty clip from his guns and tosses one aside, slamming the last rounds in as he went. Jade cocked her gun and blasted a path directly in front of her. The door is so close! Just a little further and it'll all be over!

 ** _Through every fear that you fi-ght,_**

 ** _You're giving life to a spark of crimson red_**

 ** _It burns bright just waiting to ignite!_**

The duo hops over the barricade of imps, shoving, pushing, kicking, biting- anything and everything they could in order to preserve the last of their ammo for the critical moment it would be needed.

 _As our impulses ring aloud_

 **This world is evolving to the sound**

 _ **Of a ne-w begini-ng!**_

Jade's hand clamps on the handle of the door and she forces it open. A beam of bright light shines forth and blinds them, but undeterred the link hands and rush through the door. The silence envelopes them once again, and slowly their eyes adjust to the harsh light. When they can see again they look to each other with weary grins.

They had done it.

They won.

* * *

 _Next chapter: I'm Not That Girl (Jane/DirkJake)_


	7. I'm Not That Girl

_Song: I'm Not That Girl_

 _Artist: From the play "Wicked"_

 _Characters/Pairing: Jane, DirkJake_

* * *

"Oh heavens, I'm so terribly sorry for bumping into you!" Jane Crocker knelt down and hurried to pick up her things which she had dropped when she ran into the handsome youth. This said boy got down on his knees and began to help her.

"It's not a problem Janey," She glanced up at the tan boy. Her heart fluttered at the sight of his kind smile. Jake English was the perfect gentleman in her eyes. Heat swirled around in her cheeks and she looked down again, gathering papers in a messy stack. Jake handed her some more papers and their hands brushed together as she took them back. A jolt rushed through her at the contact, a tingling sensation trailing along after it. She looked up again in a daze and met his emerald eyes that twinkled with a hint of mischief and spirit. She held back a sigh that would have told him just how dreamy she thought he was.

When they had finished gathering up the scattered work, which wasn't very much, Jake stood and held out his hand to her. Gingerly she took it and he pulled her up with a grin. "Take care Ms. Crocker."

With nod he turned around and strode off. Jane watched him go wistfully, her heart sinking lower as she see's him joining up with Dirk. Her eyes trailed forlornly down their arms as they linked hands. With a small shake of her head she turned to leave in the opposite direction, her blue dress swishing around her legs and paper work tucked closely against her chest.

Poor little Jane Crocker had a crush on Mr. Jake English, but she had been too late to confess. And most of it had been her fault. She had gotten herself flustered and nervous to the point where she had said all the wrong things and persuaded the boy to take up dating their other mutual friend, Dirk Strider. The two had hit it off splendidly. She felt guilty every time she looked at them when she wished she could break them apart. After all, now that they had found each other she should be supportive of them, right?

Jane sighed heavily and kept her gaze downcast.

"It would be at this point in a movie where the heroin would sing a song, wouldn't it?" she mused aloud. "And then after that something miraculous will happen. Isn't that how the old cliche goes? Oh folly, why do I even bother?"

She huffs and veers off the path to walk along a low brick wall. Jane clambers up, cursing her short (and in her opinion, stubby) legs as she went. Then she proceeded with the lonesome cliche, not even bothering to care anymore.

"It's not like he'll somehow hear me and change his mind. I wouldn't be so lucky with a boy as dense as Jake can get," she muttered, throwing her free arm out to balance her. Slowly she began to hum the opening to her sad tribute. And then in a day-dreamy voice she quietly began to sing.

 _Hands touch, eyes meet_

 _Sudden silence, sudden heat_

 _Hearts leap in a giddy whirl_

 _He could be tha-t boy, but I'm not that girl_

She thought back to all the times she had watched him from afar. If only she hadn't been so frivolous and careless to let her feelings roam without any reigns to guide them. Maybe then she wouldn't be crying her heart out in a dumb cliched song.

 _Don't dre-am too fa-r_

 _Don't lose sight of who you are_

 _Don't remember that rush of joy_

 _He could be tha-t boy, I'm not that gi-rl_

Jane stops and clutches the papers more tightly to her chest, a dull ache forming in her chest. She swallows hard only to find a lump had grown in her throat while she hadn't been looking. Just like these pesky feelings. She had been well off before meeting Mr. English. Her grades had been in tip-top shape, her priorities had been lined up in a neat little row like her ducklings, and most important of all she had been satisfied. It all seems so distant now, and she wonders where that version of Jane Crocker had gone.

Still, not all of loving him had been bad. There were times where she really did feel like they were connecting on a deeper level. What would have happened if she had been able to pull herself together and tell him how she had felt? Would it be them walking hand in hand, laughing, talking, gallivanting about and pursuing shenanigans? Would she have been able to kiss him? To feel his warm body against her own?

She shakes her head in discouragement.

 _Every so often we long steal_

 _To the land of what might have been_

 _But that doesn't soften the ache we feel_

 _When reality sets back in-_

Laughter sounds from behind her and she steals a glance, knowing whom it belonged to. The corners of her lips tug down in a frown and tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes. Jake and Dirk were wrapped in each other's arms, sharing a sweet and endearing embrace.

 _Blithe smiles, lithe limp_

 _He who's winsome, he wins him_

 _Gold hair with a gentle spike,_

 _That's the boy he- chose_

 _And heaven kno-ws_

 _I'm not that girl-_

Jane turns her head away from the happy couple, a cold feeling gripping her own heart. She should have known that Dirk would have won. Quietly she sets off again to get away from them.

If it weren't for her own blundering inabilities...

Maybe...

What if...

No...

She stifles a sniffle and reaches up to rub furiously at her eyes.

 _Don't wish_

Her voice cracks.

 _Don't start_

 _Wishing only ruins the heart_

 _I wasn't born for the sword and the gun_

 _There's a boy I- know,_

 _He loves him so-_

She hops down from the wall and sits down on a nearby bench. A tree hides her from view as a few unwanted, but well warranted tears slip down her cheek.

 _I'm no-t tha-t girl-..._

Her shoulders quivered and her bottom lip trembled.

"Just a stupid cliche," she mumbled, reaching up to wipe the racing tears away.

* * *

 _*Cries because I know Jane. I know*_

 _*ahem*_

 _Well not that I got that depressing chapter out of my system..._

 _Next chapter: Ukelelian (Feferi)_


	8. Ukulalien

_Hi sorry I took forever to update this one too! I had problems finding the music for this one, but oh well it's all good now. Thank you guest for suggesting this one!_

 _Song: Ukulalien_

 _Artist: Recess Monkey_

 _Character: Feferi (Human AU)_

* * *

Feferi never really saw any need to clean up all that often. Why bother when she would just make a mess more or less similar to the previous one? But in cases like her current one she made exceptions. Another thing that rarely happened to Feferi was getting bored. Bored enough to do something as silly and redundant as cleaning.

It started out as just picking up a few things here and there. Then she started to sort things into piles of trash, clothes, or little mismatched shenanigans she might need for later (she may or may not have a problem hoarding irrelevant items but don't tell anyone ok?). Next she was sweeping her floors and washing up the cutlery. But that only covered one room in her home, and feeling empowered with motivation she had set out to conquer the rest of the place.

She swept and mopped, dusted and polished, took out the trash time and time again, until all that remained was her bedroom. She stood amidst the piles of clothes and other random odds and ends and surveyed her personal sea of unsanitary conditions. Her gaze fell upon the closet that was practically flooding.

"Well I suppose there is a good of a place as any to start!" she said with a chipper attitude, clenching her fist in a candid attitude before diving in to conquer the trash mountain. She made her way to the back and shoved everything out, sweeping up the things that clung to the edges of the walls out with her hands. Then she began the sorting ritual all over again. This time was slower though, simply because cleaning in her own room took her down nostalgia lane.

She opened a box that was covered in puffy stickers and glittery pink gel pen. _'Feferi's Knick-Knacks',_ it read. Inside it were a ton of sea shells she had collected from different places she had visited, some plastic jewelry, and lots and lots of pictures she had drawn. Feferi pulled out the stack and flipped through them. A giggle escaped her as she remembered drawing each one. Finally she got to a particularly inspired set of pictures.

There was a grey UFO (when she was a kid she would often draw herself as a troll because it was fun) crashing into a very bright blue sea next to some brown smudges that had palm trees and coconuts. These were labeled as Hawaii (or Huwhyee according to the kid version of her who thought spelling was overrated). She remembered liking a song so much that she had drawn her own rendition of it.

"Don't I have the tape still?" she wondered aloud. Quickly she returned to the box and hunted it down. Feferi leaped into the air victoriously and raced to her music player when she found the little black tape. She shoved it in and pressed play. The jamming music began to play and Feferi couldn't help but wiggle and shake just a little. It still sounded good to her!

She went back to looking at the pictures.

 _Once a little UFO crashed in the sea_

 _It landed near some islands named Hawaii_

She flipped the page over and looked at the back. It was covered in a bright spectrum of colors. Troll her was looking at a pretty reef where a little fish played a ukulele. Tiny music notes came from the instrument and little hearts filled troll her's eyes.

 _The alien got pulled down by the undertow_

 _Toward a soothing sound from the rainbow reef below_

 _It was a ukulele, little alien_

 _A tiny humu-humu fish strummed happily_

The next page contained the little fish handing her a ukulele and the two of them rocking out. Feferi's head bobbed with the music and a few of the words slipped out of her mouth. She laughed at the way she had drawn herself and the fish headbanging to their ukuleles.

 _It snorted sand, "Let's start a band, Come play with me"_

 _"I need a ukulele," Said the alien_

 _The humu-humu-nuku-nuku apu'a_

 _Had an extra at home made by her papa_

 _They jammed together making waves and foamy foam_

The backside showed troll her missing her home in a thought bubble. The fish held a wrench and stood next to the spaceship that had a bandaid on it. The spaceship was then placed on an underwater volcano and the alien got back into its spaceship, making sure to buckle up!

 _Then the alien started to miss its' home_

 _The little fish made a fix on the UFO_

 _Then set it on an underwater volcano_

The little fish handed her a ukulele, little glubs surrounding the words it spoke. She took it and said thank you with just as many glubs in her words. The two waved to each other and then the little troll put on some goggles just before the ship was launched into space.

 _Take this ukulele, little alien!_

 _Thank you said the alien, now please take care_

 _The eruption shot the ship back the air_

 _There goes the ukulele, Ukualien_

The last picture was of the fishy waving goodbye to the alien from the see and the alien writing goodbye in the smoke of her ship in the sky. The song ended and Feferi found herself standing up to go play it again. She presses play and turns to face the giant mess again.

"Let's see what this ukulalien can accomplish now!" she laughed, diving back in to clear her room.

* * *

 _Heh heh, Fef ur too cute stahp. ;) Anyways ya'll can still request things! I'm open for business._

 _VisQel Stellar I checked out that last song you recommended and I've been hooked onto it, I hope you're happy XD By the way, the singer of that song is actually the original artist (a woman) at a lower pitch._

 _Next Chapter: Diver (Karkat)_


	9. Diver

_Yo, I'm terribly sorry for the late installment of this and...well...everything else. Even though I said I'd work on stuff over the summer that's honestly when my muse (Fallen) decided to run away from Homestuck. I will try my best to do what I can, but I really don't know what's gonna happen with motivation reaching a new low. On another note, I know I said last time that this was gonna be DisneyXNepeta/Equius but I've been listening to this Naruto opening nonstop for the past few days and I've got the motivation to do this at least. So without further adieu..._

 _Song: Diver_

 _Artist: Nico Touches the Wall (I like the English cover by either Unknown Songbird or Jeet Suresh Paul)_

 _Character: Karkat_

* * *

Karkat stared unseeingly at the thick red curtain in front of him, his scrawny fingers knotting the hem of his dark sweater over and over again. If he didn't stop soon, or preferably _now_ , then he was going to wear the fabric thin and put a hole in it. Not to mention that if he didn't let go of his shirt then everyone on the _other side of that curtain_ was going to know what nervous, blithering dunderfuck of a chicken he really was. And Karkat, being his usual leaderly prick of a self, would absolutely not stand for something like that. So he swallowed down that lump in his throat and forced himself to relax as if he had just ingested some of that god awful slime pie Gamzee always carried around.

 _How in the ever living fuck did I let Terezi convince me into doing something like this? It's a talent show for hell's sake! I. Am. Talentless. The only thing I'm good at is bossing people aro- WHAT THE FUCK?!_

The curtain began to rise, shedding the harsh, white light of the stage beyond into his dark space. Though he'll never admit it out loud, and most definitely not to himself, he jumped. Karkat scrambled to put himself into place, praying to every and any entity- yet also to no entity because he isn't _really_ a religious man -that he wouldn't choke and forget the lyrics to the song. Yet even as he internally begged and pleaded with himself and whatever was out there and listening, he felt the words slipping from his mind into a river of the forgotten. He reached a pale hand out and wrapped it around the microphone in a desperate attempt to ground himself.

People in the audience, friends that came to his aid as mental support, began to cheer and holler. Karkat swallowed hard again. The lights beat down on him, making him regret his wardrobe choice- but then again it's not like he wore anything else, yet the heat was unbearable. A bright glare caused him to squint, and suddenly the blackness that was beyond the stage grew a little more focused. He could make out the people in the first couple of rows. Not one of them looked familiar to him. Karkat leaned back from the microphone, a fresh wave of panic moving over him, causing his grip on the device to tighten further.

Everything's gonna go pear shaped, he just knew it. Where's Dirk or Dave when he needed a decapitation?

"You can do it Karkat! Woo! Kick some ass!" His head jerked at the sound, searching for the familiar voice. That was Jade. Despite the nervousness a shaky grin still pulled at the corners of his mouth. The audience sensed the shift and more words of encouragement flew at him as the music began to play. As he waited for the intro to get over with, Karkat realized that this song was very... _ironic_ for his given situation.

Karkat raised his other hand up to grip around the microphone as well. The crowd quieted to an excited hum and he opened his mouth to sing.

" _The faded horizon is drifting further away,_

 _As the people all around decay with suffocation._

 _Continuing to shape the world they clench to all their guns._

 _And surrounded by the hate I find there's no where to run."_

His chin had been dipping lower as he sang, almost as a reflex to the dramaticness of the intro. But as he moved on his head slowly made a return up. Karkat closed his eyes, mostly in an effort to block out his surroundings, and thus (childishly) blocking out his fears. His voice gained power as well and it filled him up. The words didn't fade, and he didn't choke; his feet remained rooted, and he didn't feel as scared.

" _I'll bleed out all these tears and take all this pain._

 _Maybe the path is fighting in vain._

 _And I can't carry on, I just can't be the one, again-_

He shook his head, getting him stuck further in the rut of comfort.

 _Even if flesh and blood turns against me like so,_

 _The fire inside oh I'll never know,_

 _To go so far, forsake the sins of time-!"_

Karkat's eyes snapped open and the world became illuminated once again. He leaned in closer to the microphone and poured his soul into the words. He wanted everyone to know that he had been scared, that he is still indeed _very_ frightened of being up here, but also that he wasn't gonna just give up like some nooksucking pansy assed prick. This was _his_ stage and like hell is he just gonna skip off so he can go crawl under a rock to die.

" _Fighting to hold on tight!_

 _Yearning for a breath of life!_

 _I cannot tell if I'm alive but,_

 _Feels like I'm a suf-fo-cating diver!_

 _Staring with endless sight,_

 _Into a darkened night._

 _Taking in one last breath I dive into the unknown-._

 _To the endlessness I go!_ "

This was where he felt the irony became critical to his situation. Nothing screams 'I'm Nervous As Fuck!' quite like comparing yourself to a suffocating diver.

The music played on and he lightly bobbed his head to the beat, counting it out and trying to time it for when he could start singing again. The last thing he needed at this particular moment in time was to fuck up the song by singing ahead of schedule. As his head bobbed, the nervous tick in his right leg began too. It continuously locked and unlocked itself in a pattern that verged upon being erratic. He almost lost it then because _god fucking dammit why is this so hard?!_

His distraction almost caused him to miss his cue.

" _Revisiting the darkness locked away inside._

 _The loneliness remains and the emptiness confines-_

 _Even though I always thought that I was strong within-_

 _Frightened by the things I lack my confidence wears thin-_

One reason that he liked this song was because he always felt that it reflected his thoughts of himself as a person...

 _Struggling to find a path in vain,_

 _A bird still flies in a light, gentle rain,_

 _but I cannot define, no I can't deny that pain-_

 _But I continue to walk, in myself I atone._

 _Am I a fool for standing alone?_

 _To go so far no longer will I kno-o-ow-!_

 _To where do I go-?"_

The crowd rioted. He caught sight of rows of people standing up, waving their phones in the air in place of glow sticks. His name was tossed around like a disjointed echo. Oh god, was he imagining all this? It'd be an unfair and cruel joke if he were. But if it's not...

Karkat grinned. The tempo of his heart remaining fast, but steady. For some unknown reason an overwhelming urge spliced with daring stupidity caused him to let go of the microphone and begin playing the air guitar, killing those metaphorical rifts. He drifted to his knees, only to shoot back up a little breathlessly. The euphoria killed the anxiety and fear in one fell swoop, dissipating it like fine mist.

He leaned in close and closed his eyes again.

" _The anchor of pain I hold bears down again,_

 _I'm praying for life, for sound,_

 _As it pours, like a sign, as the rain falls down again-_

In one slick move he removed the microphone from the stand and backed away, his eyes opening to the world once again.

 _Fight to hold on tight!_

 _Yearning for a breath of life!_

 _I cannot tell if I'm alive but,_

 _I struggle to fight this drowning diver!_

 _Staring with endless sight,_

 _Into a darkened night._

 _Taking in one last breath I dive into the unknown, yet again._

 _Fighting for one last breath, oh yeah!_

 _If I could just come to realize the light at the end-_

 _I would never drown again."_

The final keys of the guitar faded out and Karkat's arms fell limply to his side. The whole auditorium rose to a new level of noise and he gave a weak smile. His body shook, the adrenaline high running away as soon as the end had come. Karkat somehow managed to string together a stable command and his body put the microphone back where it went. Slowly he waved his hand and waved, just before lightly jogging off the stage to be greeted by his friends.

While this turned out to be a success, he still had a few choice words for Terezi...

* * *

 _Ay, not too shabby for a couple months of being gone. I'll slowly but surely work my way around to everything else *dramatic gaze into the dying sunset*_

 _Next chapter: Heartbreaker (Dirk/Meulin/Nepeta) ((I added the other two because of a funny idea and bloopers)_


End file.
